A campaigner has issued North Lincolnshire Council with a legal notice demanding the authority takes action on potholes on the region's roads.

Paul McCartan, has served the council with a section 56 notice under the Highways Act 1980 for three roads - the A1077, the A15 between the M180 and the Humber Bridge and Ermine Street, between the A1077 and Appleby.

This requires the local authority to confirm it owns and maintains the roads in question. From this point, the council then has six months to sort the issues or face being taken to court.

The legal letter was delivered to the council at the Civic Centre in Scunthorpe yesterday.

Paul McCartan pictured on Ermine Street at Winterton with one of the large potholes on the road

Mr McCartan, a Labour party activist and Winterrton town mayor who set up the PotHoles North Lincs Facebook page, said it has now been three weeks since he met with council leader Rob Waltham.

"There has been no movement. I asked if action is going to be taken or if we can see an action plan or see some measures put in place right away," he said.

And council leader Rob Waltham said the roads detailed in the legal notice would be fixed by next week.

He said: "We have experienced major delays following recent adverse weather. It is a waste of taxpayers' money to fill potholes that are full of water or snow, however now the weather is getting better, we can continue to make progress.

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"Major roads require extra traffic management in the interests of protecting those working on the roads and also in order to make the roads safe for drivers.

"That said, our teams are currently working on the A1077 and provisions have now been put in place for work on Ermine Street and the A15, of course subject to there being no further adverse weather in the coming days, they will all be completed next week."

The issue was also discussed on local radio this morning.

Mr McCartan told BBC Radio Humberside: "We're trying to do two key things here - one is to get North Lincolnshire Council to repair the infrastructure so the roads are safe and two, to raise awareness of where the potholes are so while we're waiting for them to be fixed, people know where the issues are and to be more vigilant.

"There's been a bit of to-ing and fro-ing trying to get North Lincs to say what they are going to do and can they come and fix them.

"There are some roads that are really dangerous and we've been struggling to get some answers from them.

"I'm on here just as Paul today because we're trying to get some answers out of them and because we've not been getting answers on what's going on and when they are going to fix them, some other parts of the country have looked at the Section 56 notices which actually give them a legal obligation to confirm that they should be maintaining the roads.

"Once they confirm that, they then have to set a timetable where they have to come and fix them.

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"Because I've not been getting any answers, I thought I had no choice but to say if I'm not getting any answers, let's let the magistrates' court get the answers."

In reply, Mr Waltham told the BBC: "Anyone who lives in North Lincolnshire will have seen the council guys out, apart from on those adverse weather days.

"Works are programmed and we have got extensive media coverage.

"We are all over social media trying to promote people to report potholes, so that awareness is happening.

"I think this is a political stunt by Paul as a failed Labour candidate who has stood three times and not secured votes from voters and now he thinks he can come on, make a political stunt to try and get some coverage for him and his cause.

"Where the issue is for me is the fact that we have invested heavily, nearly £50 million goes in to make sure our roads are going to be resurfaced.

"The Labour party locally proposed cuts of £12 million, which is embarrassing for them, but we've got a real programme, our guys are out doing the work.

"We want to make sure if residents genuinely have a concern about a pothole, please report it. You can report it on our website or call in to the council and we will happily get it on the programme and get it fixed as soon as we possibly can."